How to pet cats may sound simple, but for children or people who haven’t spent much time around cats may really have difficulty going about this petting process.

However, because of some of the harm associated with this act if done wrongfully, we have outlined below the few recommended ways on how to pet cats according to science.

You Can Watch It In The Video Here or Continue reading on.

Below we dive into how to pet cats let’s know the places to pet cats.

Where To Pet Cats

i) The Chin And Neck
The chin and the neck areas are not only safe, but they are also among their sweet spots.

ii) Between And Behind The Ears
Between and behind the ears is another sweet area where cats love being petted.

iii) Back
The back area is also a lovely spot. You can safely pet your kitty starting from the back of its head to the base of its tail, but don’t touch the tail.

iv) Side
You can also pet the cat sideways if it’s lying on its side and if it appears to be relaxed in your presence. You can try this only if the kitty is next to you or in your lap.

How To Pet Cats

• Start with a soft chin-scratch. Use your fingertips or fingernails(if you have any) to rub the chin gently, particularly where the jawbone connects to the skull. It’s possible the cat will push into your stroke or jut out her chin, both are signs of enjoyment. 😉
• Focus on the area between or behind the ears. Use the pads of your fingers and apply gentle pressure. The base of the ears is another scent-marking spot for cats.
• Pet the cat’s cheeks just behind the whiskers. If the cat likes this, she may rotate her whiskers forward, effectively asking for more. ☺
• Run the back of your hand gently along the side of the face. Once the cat is warmed up, use your middle finger to stroke the cat’s “moustache” (just above the upper lips) while encircling her whole face and stroking the top of the head with your thumb.
• Stroke the cat from the forehead down to the spine. Pet the forehead, then run your hand from forehead to the base of the tail, going from the head down repeatedly. Massage her neck muscles by pinching gently. Apply gentle pressure and make it a continuous, slow motion.¹

Why You Should Pet Your Cats

Here are some major advantages and reasons to cuddle your cats.

1) It Communicates Love
Petting is one of the best ways that you can communicate your love to your cat, there’s no mistaking what your caresses and scratches mean. And in turn, she can communicate her love through nudges and purring.

2) Reduce Stress
Just as in human where massage and caress reduce stress, so applicable to cats. Studies have shown that petting a cat can reduce stress and anxiety, plus help lower blood pressure!

3) Detect Fleas and Ticks
When you pet your cat often you’ll be more familiar with her body and coat. That’ll help you notice if there are any creepy crawlers trying to make a meal out of your cat.
Noticing them quickly can help you eliminate the problem before it gets out of control.

Where Not To Pet a Cat

• The tail should be off-limits. The motions of a twitching tail are often interesting for children but warn the kids to stay away from the cat’s tail.

• Belly rubs are also a bad idea. One of the most relaxed and vulnerable sleeping positions of any cat out there is when it’s lying with its belly fully exposed because it’s feeling trustworthy towards its surroundings and its owner.

If your cat likes sleeping in this position, then it fully trusts you that you won’t do anything harmful and won’t touch its most vulnerable body parts. Don’t betray its trust with belly rubs!

• The paws are among the most sensitive spots on any feline’s body. Don’t rub them at all. Some kitties like it when their owners are playing with their feet during play sessions, but these areas should be avoided when it comes to petting. ²

Conclusion

Many of us will have experienced that super friendly cat who seems to love being stroked one minute, only to bite or swipe at us the next. It might be easy at this point to blame it on the cat, but what’s likely happening here is that we’re just not stroking them right.

To understand why this might be, we first need to understand what the cat likes and what it dislikes.